During the city council meeting on May 13, the council discussed tiny homes, heard a presentation on the code enforcement team, and provided direction for potential projects for a PLHA grant.
The council discussed ordinances pertaining to tiny homes and future tiny home communities. In 2022, the council established a tiny house ordinance that allowed up to three tiny homes on a lot, which conflicted with the state law on mobile parks. The Planning Commission held public hearings on March 27 and April 10.
The council also solidified some of the more minor changes recommended by the planning commission. For example, some rules concerning the Tiny Home’s location, whether in the front or the back of the parcel, were relaxed. Councilmember Tess Albin-Smith voiced her concerns about this, as she didn’t want tiny homes ruining the character of some of the older neighborhoods. However, the rest of the council disagreed, saying they didn’t want to place too many constraints on building tiny homes.
The council also updated the ordinances on mobile parks, adding language to include tiny homes and other manufactured homes. Recreation Vehicles would not be allowed. One of the most significant changes to this ordinance was changing the required lot size. The old ordinance required a 3-acre lot to build a mobile park, which was a barrier to development. The new ordinance eliminates the minimum lot size.
The council heard a presentation on the closeout of the code enforcement program grant. This program was funded by a 3-year $447,749 grant from the CDBG program in 2020. It ran from April 2021 to April 2024. Before this program, code enforcement was handled by the community development department, but it did not have a designated code officer. Using the grant funds, an assistant planner from the community development department was hired as a code enforcement officer. In 2022, code enforcement was moved from the community development department to the police department. A second code enforcement officer was hired in 2023.
This program focused on proactive inspections of rental housing. According to the presentation, code enforcement increased by 207% compared to prior years.
The rules concerning CDBG funding have changed since 2020, so code enforcement is no longer considered an eligible, standalone project for CDBG. The City needs to apply for a housing program that includes code enforcement to get more funding.
The council also directed staff to apply for Permanent Local Housing Allocation funding. This funding focuses on assisting people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, so the grant needs to fund programs dedicated to those activities. The city staff suggested either the Care Response Unit or funding for the Rental Assistance Program.
Since CRU has been funded through 2025, the council directed staff to apply for the funds with a rental assistance program. According to Mayor Bernie Norvell, keeping people in their homes is more cost-effective than getting unhoused people into a home. Applications for this funding are due June 6.
(Ukiah Daily Journal)
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